Let the Band play on.

A friend of mine died suddenly the other day with his family while on holiday in Texas. Bob and I first worked together back in the 70’s when he started teaching Band and Choir at the Inner City school that we both worked at when he started teaching. 

 Bob and I had gone to high school together, (he was three years behind me, but I knew him through my brothers). Bob was full of life and love for music; it was in his soul. Bob build up the band program at the school, working long hours, taking kids on band trips that became legendary (if not among the students, among the people who travelled with him). 

Bob left that school a few years after I did leaving behind a legacy that lives on today for his students as evidenced by these facebook comment from some of his students from his time with me at Whalley:

RIP Mr. Bob LaBonte, you will be missed! I remember the late 70's and the  rough kids we were in Whalley, and how much even then we respected and  loved you. You were a special kind of teacher and person!

So sad to hear...he was my favourite teacher is all of West Whalley. He alway seemed to respect and understand us. I will always remember our band trips. RIP Mr. LaBonte.

Bob moved on to other schools, built wonderful band, and choir programs, and he was always looking for a challenge. When he retired a couple of years ago,  like me he became bored wit retirement and was quickly re-hired by the district and ended up teaching on a temporary contract at Frank Hurt (an Inner city school in Central Surrey). During his first year at Frank Hurt,(two years ago),  he started to build the Band program back up, by his second year it was in full swing, and Bob was hired on a continuing contract to continue his work at the school

His second year was this last school year and I was lucky enough to work with him again. Bob rarely took lunch as he would rather take the time to work with students who wanted extra practice time. When he did take lunch, he and I would talk about the Band program, old times, old friends, his family and how he was looking forward to next year. 

He was very excited that he had expanded the program and he had a lot of grade 8’s coming into the program. We talked about his upcoming trip where he was going to go to Texas, then New Orleans and other areas where he could relax and enjoy the music. We heard today that he had died in Texas, in his sleep. 

His death is such a loss to his family, his friends and to all of the people that he touched. Music was in his soul and my sympathy goes to his wife and children. Bob LaBonte, rest in peace, you will be missed!